Ontario Provincial Police Block

Police corruption is a form of police misconduct designed to obtain financial benefits, other personal gain, or career advancement for officers in exchange for not pursuing, or selectively pursuing, an investigation or arrest. One common form of police corruption is soliciting or accepting bribes in exchange for not reporting organized drug or prostitution rings or other illegal activities. Another example is police officers flouting the police code of conduct in order to secure convictions of suspects — for example, through the use of falsified evidence.

BARRIE- RCMP officers have laid charges against former members of the Ontario Provincial Police Association (OPPA) after a 19-month investigation.

Members of the RCMP financial crime and anti-corruption unit laid charges of fraud over $5,000 and laundering the proceeds of crime today against three former members of the OPPA, being West Gwillimbury's Karl Walsh, 52, Midland's James Christie, 48, and Oro-Medonte's Martin Bain, 50.

Back in March 2015, the three men vacated their positions after an RCMP investigation was launched.

Court documents showed it was union whistleblowers who tipped off the RCMP, who used an affidavit to obtain a warrant to search the OPPA union’s Barrie offices March 6, 2015.

In the affidavit, a union member with signing authority said he was asked to authorize a $5,000 cheque in August 2014, payable to a consulting company he had never heard of.

A few days later, the same member learned of two other transactions that didn’t make sense to him — the union had purchased a condo in the Bahamas and had wired $100,000 to the Cayman Islands for a “high-risk” investment.

Toronto lawyer Andrew McKay, 54, and Francis Chantiam, 60, of New Jersey were also charged in connection to the investigation.

Three ex-OPP union leaders among those charged with fraud, money laundering after RCMP probe

Three former top executives of the Ontario Provincial Police Association and two of their business associates were charged Thursday with fraud and money laundering following a 19-month RCMP probe into allegations of misuse of funds.

The investigation, led by investigators with the RCMP’s financial crime and anti-corruption units, centred on allegations that the union leaders “secretly benefited” from contracts that had been arranged between the OPP Association and two companies — a travel agency and a consulting firm — according to court documents.

Charges of fraud and money laundering were laid against James Christie, 48, the union’s ex-president; Martin Bain, 50, the former vice-president; and Karl Walsh, 52, the former chief administrative officer. All three are sworn officers with the OPP and remain suspended with pay, the force said Thursday.

The same charges were also laid against Andrew McKay, 54, a Toronto lawyer who often represents officers accused of wrongdoing, and Francis Chantiam, 60, of New Jersey, police said in a news release. (He is identified as Noel Francis Chantiam in court records).

None of the charges has been proven.

According to a court affidavit filed in March by RCMP Sgt. Gordon Aristotle, McKay and Chantiam used their legal and business expertise to establish the companies, while Christie, Bain and Walsh “used their positions of influence” within the union to secure business relationships with the companies. All of them had financial interests in the companies, police allege.

One of the companies was Leximco/First Response Travel. OPPA staff were instructed to arrange all business travel exclusively through this company, which amounted to an estimated $400,000 a year, the court records state.

The other company was PIN Consulting Group Inc. It was to provide a wide range of services related to travel, real estate and investments at a cost of $5,000 a month, according to the court records.

At no time did Walsh, Christie or Bain disclose to the OPPA board of directors that they had a financial interest in either company, police allege.

“Each director explained in their own way just how shocked and upset they are, and how they are left feeling betrayed and deceived by Walsh, Bain and Christie,” Aristotle wrote.

Court documents identified Klara Kozak as the “face” of the travel agency. She was not among those charged on Thursday.

Kozak told investigators she did not understand how there could be money laundering connected to the travel agency and why there would be a criminal investigation, according to the court records. “She questioned what she could have done differently.”

Rob Jamieson, the OPPA’s current president, said Thursday the association has made changes to improve accountability and protect its finances. “We’ve turned the page on a dark chapter in our history,” he said.

TORONTO -- The RCMP say criminal charges have been laid against five people following an investigation into allegations of fraud by top leaders of the union that represents Ontario Provincial Police.

The Mounties have alleged the former union officials and others set up a sophisticated network of schemes involving secretly owned companies and offshore investments to defraud union members.

In a release Thursday, RCMP say charges of fraud over $5,000 and laundering the proceeds of crime have been laid against Karl Walsh, 52, James Christie, 48, Martin Bain, 50, Andrew McKay, 54, all Ontario residents, and Francis Chantiam, 60, of New Jersey.

They are due in court on July 18.

Christie, Bain and Walsh are police officers who were suspended by the OPP with pay in March 2015 pending the outcome of the investigation.

The union dismissed Walsh, who was its chief administrative officer. Christie was president and Bain vice-president. The union said they took administrative leaves.

The RCMP have charged 3 former senior employees of the Ontario Provincial Police Association, a Toronto lawyer and a U.S. citizen with fraud over $5,000 and money laundering.

The charges follow a 19-month investigation by the RCMP Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Units into allegations of improper conduct, the RCMP said in a news release.

The following people were charged in Toronto on Thursday with two counts each: Karl Walsh, 52, of West Gwillimbury, Ont.; James Christie, 48, of Midland, Ont.; Martin Bain, 50, of Oro-Medonte, Ont.; Andrew McKay, 54, of Toronto; and Francis Chantiam, 60, of New Jersey.

Christie, an OPP detective sergeant, was suspended from duty in March 2015, along with Walsh and Bain, both OPP constables.

Walsh was the chief administrative officer for the OPP union and ran for a provincial seat in the 2011 election for the Liberals. Christie, the union's president, and Bain, the union's vice-president, have been on voluntary leaves of absence from their union positions. McKay is a Toronto lawyer.

The investigators probed allegations of improper conduct "by former senior employees of the Ontario Provincial Police Association and persons acting in concert with them," the RCMP said in the statement.

Sgt. Penny Hermann, RCMP media relations officer for Ontario, said the RCMP carried out a search warrant of the OPP Association's head office in Barrie in March 2015.

"As a result of our investigation, this is how the charges were laid," she said.

The RCMP said the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) helped in its investigation.

The five accused are scheduled to appear in a Toronto court on July 18.

Charges are expected to be announced soon in the RCMP’s fraud and theft investigation targeting former senior executive members of the Ontario Provincial Police Association and their business associates, sources say.

The investigation, which started in the fall of 2014, centres on allegations that top union leaders worked with others to set up companies to provide services to the union’s membership but failed to disclose their financial interests in those companies.

After the allegations became public in early 2015, it resulted in the departures of James Christie, the association’s president; Martin Bain, the vice-president; and Karl Walsh, the chief administrative officer. All three men, sworn officers with the OPP, were also suspended with pay from the force.

New documents filed in an Ontario court in March by RCMP Sgt. Gordon Aristotle said that there were reasonable grounds to believe Bain, Christie and Walsh had committed theft, breach of trust, fraud and money laundering.

Three of their business associates, Toronto lawyer Andrew McKay, Klara Kozak and Noel Chantiam, were believed to have committed money laundering and fraud, Aristotle wrote.

None of the individuals or their lawyers could be reached for comment Wednesday, and none of the accusations has been proven in court.

“If charges are laid, a media release will go out detailing the charges and the people involved,” RCMP spokeswoman Sgt. Penny Hermann said.

According to the most recent court filings, a plan was developed in 2014 to defraud the OPPA for “personal financial benefit through deceit of the OPPA Board of Directors and the OPPA membership.”

It is alleged that McKay and Chantiam provided the legal and business expertise to establish the new companies, while Christie, Bain and Walsh “used their positions of influence” within the union to secure business relationships with those companies.

One company that was set up was Leximco/First Response Travel. Kozak would serve as its “face,” but all six would have a financial interest in the company, the court documents allege.

OPPA staff were notified that Leximco/First Response would become the exclusive travel and accommodation service provider of the OPPA at a cost of about $400,000 a year.

A second company was called PIN Consulting Group Inc. McKay would serve as its “face,” but everyone, except Kozak, would have a financial interest in it, the court documents state. The company would provide a wide range of services related to travel, real estate and investments for a monthly fee of $5,000.

It is alleged this monthly fee was used by Christie, Walsh and Bain to subsidize their financial contribution for the purchase of shares in the travel company.

“All current directors of the OPPA Board have been interviewed by investigators,” Aristotle wrote. “None were ever advised that Walsh, Bain and Christie had a beneficial interest in PIN or Leximco/First Response.”

This, according to the board, was a “serious conflict of interest,” Aristotle wrote.

According to the court records, the RCMP investigation — triggered in October 2014 when two OPPA whistleblowers came forward alleging criminal activity — has involved the review of numerous emails, text messages, bank statements, wire transfers and cheque stubs, as well as many witness interviews.

The OPP Association represents more than 6,200 uniformed and 3,600 civilian members.

Charges have been laid in the RCMP investigation involving former senior executive members of the Ontario Provincial Police Association and their business associates.

In a news release, the RCMP confirmed the association's former president Jim Christie, 48, former vice-president Martin Bain, 50, and ex-chief administrative officer Karl Walsh,52, are all charged with one count of fraud over $5,000 and one count of laundering the proceeds of crime.

Sources say the accused arranged through their lawyers to surrender at the RCMP's Newmarket detachment and be released from the station on a promise to appear with an undertaking.

The charges were laid over two days, Wednesday and Thursday, according to sources.

Also charged with fraud and money laundering are lawyer Andrew McKay, 54, of Toronto and businessman Francis Chantiam, 60, of New Jersey.

"My client takes the position that he hasn't been involved in any wrongdoing of any kind," said Chantiam's lawyer Peter Brauti.

McKay is a former Toronto cop who has represented many officers.

"Mr. McKay is surprised by the charges. He adamantly denies any criminal wrongdoing and he looks forward to the opportunity to fully answer the charges," said McKay's lawyer, David Humphrey.

The 19-month investigation started in the fall of 2014.

The RCMP began looking into allegations that top union leaders worked with others to set up a company to provide services to the union’s membership but failed to disclose their financial interests in the company.

After the allegations became public in early 2015, Christie, of Midland, and Bain, from Oro-Medonte, took leaves of absence.

Walsh, from West Gwillimbury, who is also a former union president was fired by the union from his position as CAO.

All three men, sworn officers with the OPP, were also suspended with pay from the force under orders from OPP Commissioner Vince Hawkes.

During the investigation, the RCMP raided the OPPA headquarters in Barrie and searched private homes and company vehicles.

The OPP Association represents more than 6,200 uniformed and 3,600 civilian members.

The five accused make their first court appearance at Old City Hall court in Toronto on July 18.

Lawyers for three ex-OPP union leaders, 2 business associates appear in court

The accused did not appear and the case was held over until Aug. 17

Lawyers for three former OPP union leaders, a Toronto lawyer and a U.S. citizen appeared in Toronto's Old City Hall court this morning to address charges of fraud over $5,000 and money laundering.

The accused did not appear, but their lawyers said they received more information from police this morning on the allegations they are facing, and court was adjourned until the next appearance on Aug. 17.

The five were charged last month after a 19-month investigation by the RCMP's financial crime and anti-corruption units.

OPP union leaders stole and laundered funds, RCMP allegeThe investigators were looking into allegations of misuse of funds and improper conduct, "by former senior employees of the Ontario Provincial Police Association and persons acting in concert with them," the RCMP said in the statement.

The officers accused are:

James Christie, 48, the union's ex-president, of Midland, Ont. The OPP detective sergeant was suspended from duty in March 2015 and is on a voluntary leave of absence from his union position

Martin Bain, 50, the union's former vice-president. From Oro-Medonte, Ont. The OPP constable was suspended from duty in March 2015 and is on a voluntary leave of absence from his union position

Karl Walsh, 52, the union's former chief administrative officer, of West Gwillimbury, Ont. The OPP constable was suspended from duty in March 2015. He had been placed on administrative leave from the OPPA. Walsh ran unsuccessfully for the provincial Liberals in the Barrie riding in 2011.

Also charged are:

Andrew McKay, 54, a Toronto lawyer.

Francis Chantiam, 60, of New Jersey.

The RCMP say they carried out a search warrant at the head office of the OPP Association in March 2015. From that, they allege the union leaders had an undisclosed financial interest in two companies: a travel agency and a consulting firm.

They believe McKay and Chantiam set up the companies, and Christie, Bain and Walsh used their union positions to establish business contracts between the OPPA and the companies.

They also believe the officers made high-risk investments in real estate properties in the Bahamas.

Simcoe County suspects in alleged OPPA fraud set to stand trial next year

Former police union officials charged in 2016

A new trial date has been set for three Simcoe County men accused of defrauding the Ontario Provincial Police Association when they worked for the Barrie-based labour union.

Karl Walsh, 54, of Bradford West Gwillimbury, James Christie, 50, of Midland and Martin Bain, 52, of Oro-Medonte are scheduled to stand trial Sept. 9, 2019, in Ontario Superior Court.

An RCMP spokesperson said a trial was set for last month, but was postponed to the new date.

The former Ontario Provincial Police Association (OPPA) executive officers resigned from their positions when the RCMP’s financial crime and anti-corruption unit began an investigation in 2015.

Christie was president, Bain was vice-president and Walsh was chief administrative officer when the RCMP used an affidavit from union whistleblowers to obtain a warrant to search the Ferris Lane OPPA offices on March 6, 2015.

About 15 months later — on June 16, 2016 — the RCMP charged the three suspects with theft, breach of trust, fraud and laundering the proceeds of crime.

The 2015 affidavit, which quotes an executive of the OPPA, alleges suspicious financial transactions, including the purchase of a condominium in the Bahamas and a $100,000 wire to the Cayman Islands for a “high-risk” investment.